MS Can Affect Children's IQ, Thinking Skills

Multiple sclerosis (MS) typically starts in young adulthood, but about five
percent of cases start in childhood or the teen years. Children with MS are at
risk to exhibit low IQ scores and problems with memory, attention and other
thinking skills, according to a study published in the May 13, 2008, issue of
Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of
Neurology.

Children who developed the disease at a younger age were more
likely to have low IQ scores than children who were older when the disease
started.

"It's possible that MS can show an even more dramatic effect on
the thinking skills and intelligence in children than in adults, since the
disease might affect the brain at a time when it is still developing," said
study author Maria Pia Amato, MD, of the University of Florence in
Italy.

For the study, 63 children under age 18 with MS were compared to
57 healthy children of similar ages. The participants were given 17 tests to
measure their overall intelligence, memory, language abilities, and other
thinking skills.

Five of the children with MS had very low IQ scores of
less than 70; none of the healthy children had a score less than 70. Fifteen of
the children with MS had IQ scores between 70 and 89, compared to two of the
healthy children. A total of 19 children with MS (31 percent) met the criteria
for cognitive impairment by failing at least three of the tests, while less than
five percent of the healthy children failed at least three tests. Unanswered
questions from this study include the effects (positive or negative) of MS
medications on cognitive function. Also, the possible role of depression in
these findings was not systematically assessed.

About 30 percent of the
children with MS also had language difficulties, which is not common in adults
with MS. "Since the disease occurs during a critical phase for language
development, children may be particularly vulnerable to language problems,"
Amato said.

Amato said information about the effect of MS on the thinking
skills in children and teenagers has been limited. "We need to understand how
the disease affects kids so we can help them manage their difficulties and
academic challenges," she said.

The study was supported in part by a
grant from Biogen-Dompè, a manufacturer of medications for MS.

The
American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 21,000 neurologists
and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through
education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in
diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such
as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and multiple
sclerosis.